Various Art Updates

Book Project

 <jumping up and down!!!>

A master quilter who has published two books already sent out an email to a select group of people - including me – to help test patterns for her new book.  She will be putting many of the quilts the testers make into the book!!!

I can’t tell you who she is, or what the project is, or show you what I made…..

It’s white, mauve/pinks, and greens.  I designed a quilt based on her technique.  The design is my own except for one piece that is based on her technique.  The layout is all mine.  I quilted it on my juki with some fun quilting, and I hand stitched the binding.  The cats helped quite a bit <sarcasm> and I have to put it through a dryer cycle to take off cat hair before I send it in. It’s about 40 inches square.

That’s all I can say…..

Sorry….

I signed an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement).  When she published, I can tell you more, and show pictures.

I will have a LOT to say about the whole process and pictures when she gives the “all clear”.  That might not be until spring, or even Summer….

However, I have to share my joy and excitement on this!!!!

Macro Photography

So, this started as my ONLY about quilting blog….

My other art forms quickly migrated in…

Here’s another: Photography!

I have a very nice DSL camera that I bought for myself as a MBA graduation present.  I didn’t buy top of the line, or professional, but I bought a very nice heavy user camera – Nikon D40.  At the time that I got it, Elinor and I were going to a lot of festivals and taking pictures of the athletes.  I wanted something that could take good action shots.  I also bought the first level of telephoto lenses for it.

However, I’ve always loved taking pictures of flowers and plants.  Since buying it, I’ve started to experiment with macro photography and taking arty shots of pretty wildlife (and some not so pretty!).  You can see a vast sampling of my attempts on my photobucket in this folder. 

Filters

Recently, I bought a set of filters for the camera. 

I have no idea what to do with them. 

I’ve carried them with me on a couple trips and they remain in their original packing.

I do this sort of thing a lot – I get very excited about something, buy the equipment, read about it, and then get scared to use it (see a later story here about wet saws).  It then sits for the longest time, and finally, I get the courage…..

And discover how easy it all was and feel like a fool!

So, to that end, Perry and I have plans to go to the Como Park conservatory (it’s indoors), and just spend a day shooting.

Wish me luck!!!

Care and Maintenance

I take pretty good care of the camera.  I have a nice, big case for it.  I have a couple card readers that go into a pocket, the charger goes into another (haven’t lost it yet!), and I even have a spare battery for it (especially needed since I have a habit of leaving the camera on).  I actually keep them charged. 

But…. I lose lens caps….

A lot….

This time, I got smart, and I bought five (so I could have backups)

However, I also bought the strings to attach them to the camera.

So, now that I have four backup lens caps, I’m not going to lose the one that’s attached for some time….

*sigh*

Glass

Beads

I am getting much better at making beads…. Really, I am, and I believe it!  I have faith in myself on this one thing.

When I first started making beads, I somehow wound up getting one of Malcom’s (the artist who owns the studio) beads in my returned batch.  It is a very nice, deep red, bi-cone shaped bead.  I know I should return it to him some day, but it’s become a measure for me.  It’s very well-shaped, large, and smooth.

When I first started making bi-cone shaped beads, they were very irregular.  They still have issues, and I struggle with getting the shape right.  However, as I keep comparing my beads to his – I’m seeing less and less of a gulf between them.  I know I’ll never be as good as him, but I think I’m developing my own style and I’m quite proud of it!.

Here’s a bunch of pictures of just the latest beads.

I Have a Problem…..

I bought a bunch of glass rods for making beads.  I diligently watched Frantz Art Glass’s sales and bought at the best sale – 50% off many brands/colors and free shipping.  I tried to buy a wide range of colors and treated myself to a couple expensive colors, but didn’t go overboard and kept to mostly value items.

It still was a lot of glass…. I’m certainly set for a while!

Here’s what my collection looks like now… I have enough to make a LOT of beads….

Not that I don’t already have a lot of beads…..

Here’s what it looked like when I organized JUST the beads that I’ve made…. We won’t discuss how many other bins I have of beads….

Search for Pink

Despite the volume of that purchase…. I want a certain color…..

I can’t really name it….

Much less find it!

Sort of a dusty, deep mauve pink.  I want the pink version of this purple color.  Not solid, but more streaky like it.

Pink/reds are the MOST expensive colors in glass.  So I can’t just buy a whole bunch of things and try.

I found three at Frantz that may be what I want – two good possibilities, one not so much but would be a cool color to have.  But, let me explain the pricing.  If I buy ONE rod, of standard colors, it’s about $1 or a little less.  If I buy by the quarter pound, I usually get 5-6 rods for $3-$5.  The one pink color that I think is what I want is $5 per ounce.  They are special – hand pulled – so inconsistent is size.  Most rods of that color are 1.5 – 2.5 ounces.  This is the rod.

Possibly this one, which is closer to $4 for a standard rod:

And this is the third color.  It’s $5 for a quarter pound.  Reasonable, and I think I’ll get to have.

Fusing

I’m going to fire up my kiln and get back to doing some fusing.  I think this is going to fall into the same routine of me buying cool tools and then being afraid to use them.  Finally, I use them and realize how simple it was!

The Pink Color

Today, Perry and I went to JRing Glass.  I was actually trying to find a pink fusing glass color that I could cut into strips and try to make beads of.  I may actually try that with some glass I already have – a hand rolled mauve/pink/white mottled glass.  As long as I use only that glass (its 90 COE) and don’t add dots, or decorations with the 104 COE, I should be fine.  My only fear is that it will act a little differently in the annealing kiln.

But, nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

I found a couple colors of glass that I wanted to play with.  One was the pink that I’m looking for, and the other is a beautiful purple.   However, they are both “striking” colors.  The sheets are translucent and NOT the color that they wind up after they come out of the kiln. 

That scares me a little. 

Will they strike to the same color if I use them on the torch and then anneal them in the different temperature kiln?

Hmmmmm

Normally, I would buy some of each – the color I wanted for beads and the color that I love…..

But, this glass is EXPENSIVE

A 24 x 24 sheet of clear fusing glass is about $20-25, depending on thickness and clarity/pattern.  A 12 x 12 sheet of single color, simple fusing glass is $7-12, and going up from there for specialty colors. 

This glass is special size.  A 10 x 17 sheet of it is $50.  Some of the striking glasses had small pieces – 8 x 10 – that were priced at $25 or so, but the pink and the purple that I looked at didn’t come in those sizes.  I just couldn’t

So, the decision I made was to get the purple and try a strip or two on the torch to see if it works.  Then, I will use the rest to make myself a special fused piece since purple is MY color.  If it does work, then I may go back and get the pink and try that out too.

In other words – nothing lost!

Tea Light Mold

When I looked at the JRing website prior to going to the store, I noticed that they had some small draping molds on a special sale.  When we got there today, they had a display setup with them and showed a bunch of tea light holders made with them and just a single layer of glass.  Note:  you can “fuse” scrap/stained glass glass if you use ONLY that glass (can’t mix COEs).  That means I could use a lot of really cool glass (that’s also pretty cheap) and make some neat Christmas gifts. 

Perry tried to talk me into buying four of the molds so I could make more at a time in the kiln.  I settled and bought two of them.  I think that they will be my test of the kiln.

Rocks

I’ve been picking up a lot of rocks as I’ve been going to places that have some neat ones.  My plan has been to polish them.  A secondary plan has been to take that flat of red calcite that I bought in Tucson last February, cut it, and polish up the slices.  Back to the “Mary buys tools and then is afraid to use them discussion….”  I bought a wet saw at harbor freight with that sole purpose in mind.

I bought it last winter….

The box has sat unopened in the basement….

After the last round of picking up cool rocks, I went and bought a rock tumbler.

(Did you know that it takes one week per stage to tumble rocks and that there are FOUR stages!?)

So, I bit the bullet today.  Went to the basement and dragged up the box with the wet saw.

I didn’t realize however, that the box said “blade not included”….

A bad word was said…..

I went back to the basement and got the other wet saw.  (When I bought out that woman’s glass fusing setup (how I got the kiln), I also got all her tools, including a well-used wet saw that she used for cutting glass pattern bars. 

At one point, Chris called home:

“What are you doing” Said Chris, in a friendly, enquiring tone.

“I’m sitting on the kitchen floor surrounded by wet saws”

To my husband’s credit, he didn’t ask anything else, nor find that particularly unusual in the great scope of things that Mary does…..

Wet saw #2 (#1? Since it’s older), got dragged outside, I found my safety glass, grabbed a bunch of the calcite, and a spray bottle of water – the large, Home Depot sized bottle.

Lesson #1 learned:  Calcite crumbles when cut.

Oh well…..

Plan B:  what rocks have I collected and put by the small pond in the yard?

Answer:  some really neat ones that showed fantastic patterns when cut.

Lesson #2 learned:  go slowly whist cutting.  Even harder, solid rock will break off.

Lesson #3 learned:  wear the heavy duty work apron that Perry got me next time.

Current status:  The rock tumbler is 2/3 full of rocks (per guidelines) and is on the floor under the sideboard in the dining room where it will be for the next four weeks, rolling away……

Pictures will eventually be posted.

The End (for now)

A Labor of Love

Or “What I Do With Quilts When I’ve Made Them”

I’ve posted a couple of times here about quilting and people generally not appreciating handcrafted materials.  I love to quilt.  I love to play with fabrics, and colors, and create new things.  I like planning, cutting, piecing, pinning out the “sandwich”, quilting it.  While things may get tedious at points, I can’t say that there is anything about the process that I don’t like, or would pay someone else to do…

Ok, part of that last statement is because I am cheap… I’ll admit it…!

Despite the general populace not appreciating and/or wanting to pay for a quality, handcrafted quilt, there are indeed many people out there who appreciate the artistry of a quilt.

One of those people is Perry (whom I’ve mentioned here before).

In fact, shortly after he found out that I quilted, he said:

“Would you make me a quilt?”

Yeah, right….

That’s a HUGE request, from someone I didn’t know very well at the time.

However, it was also interesting… a MAN asking me to make a QUILT….

…!!

Then, several weeks later, I brought a quilt with me on an outing with Perry

Bringing a quilt somewhere is NOT unusual for me.  Due to a heart condition, I get COLD… constantly… consistently….  I even have a small flannel quilt that stays packed in a cute tote bag (that I also made) and gets carried to movie theatres.

Anyway, I brought a quilt – a blue one actually – with me to visit Perry.  I wound up leaving it there.  I can’t quite remember why; I don’t think he asked me too, or that I forgot it, I think it was just to have something there for wrapping up in should I need it.

This is the quilt.

Perry went ON and ON about the quilt.  It’s a simple design – squares….  Nothing fancy, nothing complicated.

I told him that it was NOT for him; my actual words included “that color scheme is not for you”.

That was in March.  Perry’s birthday was in June….

Hmmmm…..

I won’t make just anyone a quilt – there’s a lot of work, and a not insignificant expense involved. 

Quilting is something I love to do… but it is labor… so thus, a labor of love…. 

Perry APPRECIATED my quilts.

Perry asked me to estimate what I would sell the blue quilt for.  (Translation:  He understands the cost – both of materials and labor involved)

Ok, this became a no-brainer for me…. Perry DESERVED a quilt….

So, I set out to do that.  There were several things to consider and act upon

• Pattern
• Color
• Did I want to surprise him?

The last item was a resounding YES….  However, that decision brought on a whole ‘nother set of issues

• Can the Aspie girl keep a secret?
• How do I figure out a pattern he wants without asking?
• How do I figure out colors?

Solving for Pattern

Since Perry was fairly new to viewing my quilts and a lot of quilting in general, ferreting out information on what he wanted was pretty easy.   I started conversations with him about what he liked in patterns.  This came across as me simply sharing my hobby and trying to engage in conversations!

Stars became obvious

Then I questioned whether he liked a single star (Texas lone star, etc.), or many stars. 

He liked many stars. 

Ok…. There are lots of star patterns available

But I wanted something with a twist….

Oh, what to do….?

And then…..!

Somewhere on the interwebz, I found a picture of a lemoyn star done in a scrappy pattern.  It wasn’t simple; rather it had the star part pieced together from scrappy bits.

This would work.

I used my handy, dandy MS Visio program and created paper piecing templates for two different star blocks.

Plan A – make enough of those two stars to be a queen sized top.  No sashing – just the blocks together. 

Solving for Color

I’m not quite sure how the color scheme came to my mind.  I don’t remember exactly how/why I picked it, but it was perfect.  Also, somewhere along the line, I determined that I needed to make it “scrappy”.  I think that that was because of Perry’s fascination with the blue quilt and how seemingly unrelated fabrics pulled together and created a color “wash”.  I figured that he would appreciate the “order from chaos” with the scrappy fabrics.  It’s a technique that I think I do very well.

I dug through my fabrics and put together a pile of fabrics I thought would work and hauled it upstairs.  I laid them all out, and then culled them a bit.  Chris (husband) is fantastic with colors and gave his approval.

Then, I needed some sort of “approval” from Perry.  I didn’t want to put hundreds of hours into this project only to have it not be colors that he liked.

So, I sent him a picture.  This picture:

And I simply said something along the lines of “fabrics for a quilt”

He liked them…

Game on!

Cutting

The way that I prepare for paper piecing is to cut pieces the approximate size needed plus a generous seam allowance.  I cut them to basic shape, to eliminate that confusion of which way to turn the piece when it’s flipped and isn’t right.

Me, my rotary tool and a pile of fabrics sat down on the couch, turned on a movie, and started cutting.  Standing at an appropriate height cutting table and maintaining straight posture would have been the “right” way to cut.

Me, I’m lazy and get bored.  The couch, the coffee table, and Netflix are my cutting area….

This is what the cutting processed looked like…..

Jude joined me in the living room and gave his approval to the fabrics

Several movies later, I moved on to piecing….

Paper Piecing Explanation

Some weeks into the process of making this quilt, I was talking with Perry on the phone.  It was a small talk sort of conversation and I was sewing whilst talking as I often do.  I wound up giving him an explanation of paper piecing and just how many steps and how much work was involved in each block (didn’t say STAR) that I was doing.

I wanted him to eventually know just how much work the quilt he got was!

He had some trouble understanding the basic nature of paper piecing – how you “flip” pieces to cover seams, etc.  I wound up texting him some pictures of the process…

I was VERY careful to make sure not to send any picture that gave away “star”.  I figured that he might just connect my prying about types of quilts he admired to the stars that I was working on. 

Here are the pictures I sent:

Pattern Alteration

Somewhere along the line, I realized just how much work the 60 or so stars I would need were going to be.

Probably more hours than I had between that point and the end of June.

It would have been a present for the NEXT year’s birthday.

I thought about it, and made a plan to both frame the blocks and then have some wide ish sashing.

Here’s some in progress pictures of the blocks:

You can see – piles of fabric and paper took over the whole table!

It was killing me to be working on this quilt and not be blogging about it and/or showing pictures to Perry.  It was almost too much for me to keep the secret!  One thing to my advantage though, was that Perry hadn’t ever been involved in the process of me making a quilt prior to this, so he didn’t know at that time about how I frequently share, post in-progress pictures here on the blog, etc. That made the secret easier to keep because he didn’t ask me.  He knows artists, and I guess he just figured that I held things close until done.

Supervision was done by both Bronx and Jude.

Somewhere along this line, the cats decided to help with thread choices too. 

Their assistance was not appreciated.

Backing Fabric

Under his nose!

About the time I was finished with the quilt top, and needed backing, the MQ show was held.  Since I figured out that Perry has an appreciation for quilting in general, and since Chris didn’t want to go (I asked him first!), I dragged Perry with me to the show.  (See previous post - "Art and People" - that mentions the show).

One of my main goals for the show was to find a wide batik backing for the quilt.  I just felt it needed a batik back (it’s all batik fabrics) and – again with the lazy – I didn’t want to piece a back for it.

While Perry was with me, and even looking right at it, I bought a pre-cut, 3 yard piece of a brown batik.

It was a slight gamble. 

I didn’t dare bring the finished quilt top with to verify it worked lest Perry see it!

Here’s a very poor – washed out – picture of the backing:

Laying Out

This is a queen sized quilt.  I don’t have space that size to lay out and pin a quilt that big.

Luckily for me, my quilt group had a “mini-retreat” at a nearby church.

A church with a LARGE room…

With a carpet floor….

With plenty of space!

I got a lot of compliments on the quilt while laying it out there.  This really helped my nervousness about making and gifting a quilt to – albeit a special friend who I know appreciates quilting and cares for me – someone who I wasn’t completely sure about their style and tastes.  Also, it was important to me to make this for Perry, which only increased my anxiety.

The quilt surprised me when I laid it out.  You can sort of see it in this picture, but look for it more in further pictures – there’s a secondary pattern that occurs with the sashing – almost circular.

Quilting and Binding

True to form, I had a helper with quilting too:

I take this as a huge compliment too!  The cats generally like my quilts; this one wasn’t even done yet and they were deeming it fit to sleep on.

I did, however, warn Perry when he got the quilt that he’d be removing cat hair for a while!

Time was getting very short at this point…..

The birthday day was approaching rapidly….

Hand binding takes some time…..

*whew*

Finished

Chris looked at me, as I finished it two days before Perry’s birthday, and poked at me about being done with “time to spare”

Yeah, right, barely!

Way too close for my comfort….

Birthday!

I stuffed (literally!) the quilt into a box and wrapped it with panache.  Perry once told me that he likes wrapped up presents. 

That is so not me. …

I’m not the fancy wrapper type of person

(Except for myself and clothing!)

But, I had some gold wrapping paper in the attic, and found some beautiful gold ribbon (wired ribbon that we use on the Christmas tree actually).  The finishing touch was an embroidered flower that I had in one of my bins… I KNEW things like that would come in handy!

I actually got into the wrapping bit much more than I thought I would!  I guess I should just consider it another form of art.

I brought the fairly heavy box to Perry’s.  There was NOTHING about this box that screamed “It’s a quilt”…..  In fact, it was quite the opposite.  The box was square, and seemed too small for a queen sized quilt.

Finally, it was time to open it….

I swear, I was vibrating with excitement….

Would he like it? 

Did he really know what it was? 

Had I given away the secret at some point? 

And was he just being polite in not mentioning?

Perry started opening it… I knew the exact moment that he realized it was a quilt…

The look that went across his face is something that I cannot describe, but will never forget.

Something encompassing surprise, amazement, gratitude and love….

Success for me on so many levels…..

Art and People

This week included an “art support” experience for me. 

I participate in a lot of “group” events for my various art forms:  “Open Torch” at a glass studio (definition:  up to 10 people sitting around a art studio, each using their own torch for beads/marbles/other small scale hot glass work), Open sewing days and other quilt classes, Polymer clay guild meetings, etc.  The commonality of these things is that it is other hobbyists/artists who also practice that craft/art; people of like minds who understand it all.

Those other people are there for the art/craft; they are not there for me.  When I was a child, my parents and relatives came to recitals, shows, etc., to see my things and support me.  My art/craft friends come with me to things and they critique the work there, including my own things.  We are all like-minded individuals attending and/or participating in an event due to shared interests.

However, I am human, female, emotional, needy….  And it is always nice to have someone with me for ME… to support me, listen to me, and just be with me.  I do not do girlfriends in the same way that many women do.  Some of it is the Aspie behaviors; I just do not travel in groups and attend things like a lot of women – especially hobbyists – do.  I frequently see groups of women at things like quilt shows and bead shows who attend together, drive together, do a full day, lunch out, etc.  I do not do that.  Never have.  I have some girlfriends, and while we have shopped together at quilt shops on occasion but that is a rarity; that is just not the way I do things.  I either am generally alone or have a partner there with me – for me.

My husband (Chris) supports me in my art, but he really is not all that involved/interested.  This doesn’t bother me; I don’t go to car shows, races, etc.  I KNOW that if I ever said to him “I need you to: <art related>” he would jump.  It’s very healthy that we have our own events.  He supports me where it’s truly needed:

• Doesn’t complain about the stacks of art supplies around the house
• Doesn’t complain about the projects scattered here and there
• Has stepped on pins and doesn’t chastise me (too badly)
• Will stop at quilt shops and the like on trips
• Went to Madison for the Art Glass and Bead Show for our anniversary (but did duck out to the car show next door at the venue

However, local events (at least those not requiring an overnight stay), well, let’s just say that I’m on my own….

Until this week….

I have a close male friend – Perry - who is very important to me in many ways.  His opinions matter.  His support matters and I enjoy his company.

He has a greater interest in the art/craft world than Chris.  He worked directly in an art field business for many years and is an artist in his own right.  While Chris has color sense and appreciates my work, Perry sees the details behind it all. 

Quilting

This week was the MQ Quilt Show.  Attending is pretty much a yearly event for me.  While I enjoy looking at the displays, and visiting all the booths, It’s always been a lonely experience for me.  As mentioned previously, I go alone, and I feel self conscious.  As a result, I look at the things I want to see – quickly – and make it a short day.

All changed!

Perry went with me. 

It was SOOO different than other times.

First, I felt comfortable.  I had someone there for me, who followed me around, did what I wanted to, let me lead.  That took care of the whole set of issues I have with a group interacting.

Second, I felt smart and informative.  I love teaching art and craft classes (and sometimes other things).  When I teach, I am in control and people are looking towards me for information.  I also think I teach well (have been told that I do).

Perry appreciated all the displays, asked me questions, listened to what I said, and generally showed me a familiar show through new eyes.  I feel I got more out of the whole experience than I have in the past.

I also spent less than I usually do!  I think that was a lot about having someone with me and thus felt comfortable looking at things in vendor booths without feeling conspicuous and thus “needing” to buy something.

The Pink Hair

Also on the comfort / feeling conspicuous streak – I currently have fuchsia hair. 

I’m not talking a streak in my hair, or a light undertone…

Nope,

It’s full on, bleached and dyed, anime, candy colored, etc.!

I get a lot of compliments.  Some of them come from unexpected sources – women in business suits for example – and others from expected sources.  I haven’t done the full on arty color for attention or rebellion;  I think the lack of that shows in attitude and bearing.  I’ve done it because I like the colors and I’m having fun with it. 

I have nothing to prove, am not trying to shock, but it’s is still not typical

(I won’t use the word “normal” in any context here).  What is “normal” anyway?

But, alas, the hair also generates negativity.

Amazingly enough, people are generally willing to verbally call out the difference from social norms in a positive manner, but not in a negative manner.  Only one person has ever said anything negative about my hair directly to me, and even then, it wasn’t out right negative (he said:  “I just can’t get used to the blue (the color at the time) hair”.  However, people are more than willing to stare, gape, sneer, etc.

Both Chris and Perry like my hair and like that I have fun with it.  Their attitudes are different from each other in how they address it.  There are two pieces to Chris’s attitude.  He outright compliments me about it, says it makes me look younger and makes him feel younger in turn and gives me a lot of feedback on a daily basis.  The second piece is that Chris is more aware of the ways in which people can negatively judge me for the “not normal” hair.  Perhaps that is because he works in a conservative office/industry in which pink or red nails, no open toed shoes, and socks or nylons required are dress code rules for women.   Perry on the other hand accepts the hair color as me and doesn’t separate it from “normal” hair color; he seems to not see brunette/redhead/blonde as distinctly separate from the unnatural colors.  Chris sees how people would judge me for it; I don’t think Perry even thought along those lines.

The quilt show demographic was far more along the lines of Chris’s world of people – median and averages ages probably at 55/60, conservative, “dowdy”, etc.  Also – and this is my sense of bias – I find groups of women to be more openly judgmental about appearance than men/mixed groups.  Perry commented after the show that he noticed the “sneer” a few times aimed at my hair color. 

Which just makes me think something along the lines of:  “Seriously people!  Isn’t color a big part of quilting?, why judge when it’s somewhere else than in fabric!”

Quilt shop experiences

So, while I’m talking about the negative and judgments on my personal appearance at a quilt show, I’m also going to talk about it in context of quilt shops.

I get mixed customer services experiences in quilt shops due to my looks.

Chris and I together also get mixed (usually worse) customer service experiences.

Here’s the rub… without sounding too arrogant, my looks usually get me better service.  I look younger than my age, I have a well proportioned figure (important in clothing shops especially; well made/sized clothes fit me nice and sales people use that to their advantage to up sell, etc).  My youthfulness and brightly colored hair get me more respect in art and music related business in general and my height gets me noticed above other customers in some other businesses. 

That all reverses in many quilt shops.  I’m not sure exactly what it is:  Do they think I’m too young to quilt?  Are only plain looking women supposed to be able to operate a sewing machine?  Do I look like I’m not able to afford quilting fabric?  Do I look to young to appreciate a quilt?  (read previous posts about people not appreciating the time/expense that goes into a quilt).

Whatever it is, it’s their loss.  I spend a fair amount of money on my art/craft supplies and fabric is my first love.  I appreciate quality and have been known to drop a pretty penny in a fabric store!  I also caution quilt stores about the familiarity they breed and how regulars become a part of it.  If someone feels like they are walking into a “Club” of which they aren’t a member, they may just turn around and leave without spending anything.  I’ve had that experience at several quilt shops; where I was being ignored as I looked around or even while trying to get helped, only to have a regular walk in and get immediate service.

Additionally, just as I’ve had some negative gender based experiences in hardware/automotive business, Chris and I together have been judged based on his gender in quilt shops.  

“Oh, a man, they can’t be serious about buying”.

And then at that point, we aren’t!

What is a Quilt?

Now, I’m going to be judgmental.

Sorry…..

I like quilts.  I make a lot of “different” quilts.  My own patterns, unique designs, odd uses of color, etc.

However, I don’t like “pictorial” quilts.

I saw a lot of these at the quilt show; quilts where the artist recreated a scene, photograph, portrait, etc. in fabric.

I like blocks, and sashing, and geometrics.  “Traditional” types of pictorial quilting is ok too; things like floral, Baltimore Album, appliqué things, etc.

I think some things should be done in paint/pastels/pencils/etc., and put to paper instead of doing in a fabric world.

Just my opinion for whatever it’s worth.

Challenge

Last bit on quilting and the show…. Challenge project for next year’s show.  The center fabric is the focus fabric.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Glass

Moving on….

I’ve waxed poetic, ranted, and raved…. All words… the common thread of quilting and art runs through my previous passages, but, there isn’t any “show and tell” contained therein…

So, time for show and tell, and then I’m ending this discourse.

Last week at Open Torch, I seem to have made it “Big Bead Day”

I always think the beads look like a bouquet of flowers before I take them off the mandrals

A pair of cream with orange beads.  These are large (about ¾ inch) round beads

A collection of beads made with mixed up colors.  The roundish one of the left is a glob.  It wasn’t forming right so I left it.  The one of the right is about 2 inches long!  Also, you can see silver (fine silver) accents on it.

Blue beads.  The big one is again about 2 inches.  The cream one has LARGE bits of silver on it.

The white bead is a particularly good example of bi-cone shape.  The dots on the bi-cone blue one are pretty cool.

A couple beads with a dark red glass in them.  The long one is slightly over 2 inches.  I’m proud of it – it’s pretty even.

A couple larger, squatter beads.  The purple and silver one is a new favorite.  I need to start making things with these!

Current Project

For a variety of reasons, I don’t want to show anything on a project I’m working on right now.  Let’s just say that I’m trying something totally new to me, am very nervous about it, and want to get to a point before I show the world.

However, I want to show you the chaos that has erupted in my work space!

The Art of Toe Pictures

Just a weird and random thing…. I apparently like taking feet/toe pictures.  I take a lot of pictures of my art by laying the piece on the floor and then snapping a picture from above.  I catch my feet in them a lot.  That also seems to have morphed into purposely taking pictures of my feet to illustrate another point….

My toes appear – with and without socks - in a lot of quilt pictures

Proving to a friend that I have tennis shoes in which to go hiking

Said  shoes AFTER a grueling hike

And, relaxing after said hike….

The Art of Words

Yeah, I’m just pushing it here…. But, a humorous ending to my onslaught of words:

http://www.vappingo.com/word-blog/great-examples-of-neologisms/